The Monster of Ambracia
by Ellixer
Summary: Set somewhere in season 5 or 6. Something is killing off the people in the town of Ambracia. It's up to Xena and Gabrielle to figure out who or what it is.
1. Chapter 1

Title: The Monster of Ambracia

Rating: M

Author: Ellixer

Pairing: X/G

Disclaimer: Characters and show are owned by Universal and others. The story is mine. I make nothing.

Note: Somewhere in season 5 or 6. Trying an attempt at a horror story, I used to write them all the time. We shall see how it goes.

The day is beautiful, sun shining brightly with a few clouds racing across its landscape. The town we've just entered however is quite the opposite. While being a good size, very few people seem to be walking about. Only a few stalls in the market are open, and it's eerily quiet.

'Why are we here again?' I feel I have to whisper as anything else would be too loud.

'People are being kidnapped and killed. I don't know I've only heard the rumors.' Xena's eyes are scanning our surroundings. She hands me the reigns to the horse. 'Stable the horses; I'm going to see if I can find someone in charge.' She walks off leaving me standing there. Sometimes being the 'sidekick' is no fun. I go to the stable and find a man shoeing a black mare.

'5 dinars a night.' He says without looking up, and without bothering to wait for me to ask.

'4.' I always bargain. The man stops and looks up at me.

'It's probably best if you move on. It's not safe around here.'

'I'm with Xena; we've come here to try and help.' He takes a second to regard me, giving me a look of disbelief.

'Suite yourself. 4 dinars it is.' He shakes his head at me, obviously thinking I don't know what I'm doing. A stable hand comes forward from the darkness somewhere and takes the reins. I take a second to grab our bags, then leave to find Xena. I meet her just outside the stable doors. The face she is making is gives me pause for concern.

'This might be more complicated than I thought.' Xena is running her hands through her hair. 'Everyone who has gone out searching for people have never come back, so they stopped.'

'What kind of warlord works that way?' She shakes her head at me.

'It's no warlord, it's something else entirely.'

'A God?'

'I don't think so.' She sighs. 'This is something else.' I rub her arm affectionately.

'What are you thinking?'

'We need to find out more.'

We head towards the local tavern, this is usually the best place to get information from a cross section of people.

'What's the news?' Xena asks the barman.

'A small contingent of soldiers is expected to arrive today or tomorrow. They've been sent to aid in a search of Mirabelle, the daughter of the Lord of our district.'

'So they haven't been called until now?' I'm a little shocked but not really surprised. Nobility is always more important.

'No ma'am.' He shakes his head, handing us both a tankard of ale.

'No one knows who's responsible?' The man shakes his head at Xena.

'The people call it the monster of Ambracia. But no one has seen it.' Xena considers this as she swigs down her ale. The barman goes about his business, wiping down his counter. I look about the room; it's busy but very quiet. There is an air of fear and tension from the people.

'Come on, I got us a room.' She gives me a nudge and I follow. We make our way up the rambling stairs to our room, which is small but cozy.

'What should we do?' I begin to help Xena unstrap her breastplate and gauntlets.

'We'll wait for the soldiers to come. The Lord should be more than happy to have us help.' Her eyebrow cocks up as she thinks.

'Well shouldn't the soldiers be enough?'

'We don't know what's out there Gabrielle.' She purses her lips at me.

'Exactly.' Xena gives me an annoyed look as she drapes her armor over a chair.

'I'm tired. Let's get some sleep; we don't know what tomorrow will bring.' She throws herself on her bed. I shrug at her, pulling my boots off and getting into my own bed.

'Xena?'

'Hmmm?'

'Do you think we'll figure out what is terrorizing these people?'

'That's what we're here for. Now go to sleep.' She rolls over so her back is to me. Xena always refuses to talk before sleep. She says it ruins the peace of her thoughts. I'm not sure she has peaceful thoughts, but I'm not one to argue. Well not about this anyway. I'll talk even if she is asleep and snoring. I'm sure something has to leak into her ears against her will. But I close my eyes and hope she wont wake me early.

A shrill scream wakes me out of a sound sleep. I bolt up to see Xena standing in the middle of the room, sword drawn.

'Xena what..' She puts a finger up to her lips, telling me to be quiet. Her head cocks to one side and she concentrates. Another shrill scream pierces the air.

'Stay here.' Xena commands as she leaves the room in a run. Like I'm going to listen. Jumping up I grab my sais and run after her. I nearly run over her at the bottom of the stairs, as she stands looking out the window. She glares at me but says nothing.

I'm trying to see what she sees, but I don't know if she's actually looking at anything. The night has gone completely still. Not even the crickets and frogs are singing. The moon is large illuminating the town, but it also makes the shadows dance with unseen creatures. The screams seem to have stopped, and there are no sounds of a struggle or violent fight. I keep glancing at Xena, trying to read her face.

'Stop that.' She says in her low throaty whisper.

'Stop what?'

'Looking at me.' I avert my eyes back to the street. She can be a little grumpy sometimes.

'I don't see anything Xena.' Her eyes are darting around, searching every crook and crevice.

'No. It came from the edge of town. I'm sure whatever it was, is long gone by now.' Xena stays rooted to the spot.

'Soooo, we just wait?' Maybe I should have stayed in bed, it's much warmer there.

'Yup.'


	2. Chapter 2

The Monster 2

I lift my head, wiping drool from my mouth. At some point during the night I had fallen asleep at one of the tables. Yawning and stretching I look around for Xena, but she's not around. There are a few patrons though, that seem to be staring at me, so I make a quick exit up the stairs. I'm not expecting to find Xena in the room, so I'm a little surprised when I see her asleep in the bed. Well more like angry.

'Xena!' I kick the bed.

'What?' She mumbles but neither moves nor opens her eyes.

'Why did you leave me down there?' I would have preferred a bed to a bench and table.

'I didn't want to wake you.' She shifts away from me, pulling the blanket over her head. I know she's snickering under there. I kick her bed again, and throw myself on the other bed. I'm not about to fall back asleep, but I won't give her the satisfaction of leaving either.

'Did you find anything out there?' She grumbles at me but answers.

'Horse tracks, at least three.' Apparently she's not going to expand on that.

'Soooo..'

'So whoever it was rode horses.' I can hear the annoyance in her voice, this pleases me.

'Ok, so that means it's probably a band of barbarians or something.'

'It means, they, rode, horses.' I'm trying to suppress my giggle.

'What's next?'

'You're just gonna keep talking aren't you?'

'Yup.' I grin as she throws the blanket off and sits up glaring at me. I merely shrug at her.

'Come on then.' She grumbles and stomps out of the room.

Greek soldiers are marching through the street in formation when we get outside. It's only about six men, but I suppose that's better than nothing. Xena seeks out the commander of the unit and walks over.

'Stay here.' She puts her arm out in front of me. She is so annoying sometimes. I watch as the Commander and Xena greet each other, clasping forearms. They confer for a few minutes, gesturing back and forth. I try to watch their body language, but Xena is never one to give too much away. After a few minutes she returns.

'We'll be setting out at noon, and we'll go by foot.' Her face is stoic and determined.

'Anything new?'

'No.' I have a feeling she's lying to me.

'We better get some supplies then.' She merely nods as we head out to the market. With so few stalls open the selection of goods is impossibly limited. We manage to get a little food, and an extra water skin, the we strap our bedrolls and supplies to our backs. Xena wouldn't tell me how long we'd be out there, only that she likes to be prepared.

We start at the location of last night's attack. Two people have gone missing, and there is no indication they went voluntarily. Xena scans the ground and surrounding area.

'This way.' She jerks her head and takes off in a jog. We follow the trail for miles. Whoever we are following made no attempt to hide their tracks. In fact, it's as if they want someone to find them.

'I don't like this.' Xena says under her breathe after a while. I move in closer to her, so as not to be overheard.

'Do you think it's a trap?'

'Yes.' Her jaw tenses, her eyebrow arches.

The sun is going down, so we stop to make camp, Xena and I set up a few yards from the soldiers. We don't need their protection, and we also don't need their stares and propositions. The night is hot; there isn't even a breeze to offer any relief. I can hear the buzz of the soldiers not too far away. That's the problem with them, they have no idea how to be stealthy. Xena doesn't mind this time. She's hoping to use them as bait basically. I'm not sure how I feel about this since we could just as easily be targeted. But Xena has the confidence of a God sometimes, so this doesn't faze her one bit.

My eyes keep falling closed and my body swaying. It's been hours and the air has gone silent. I'm struggling to stay awake, unlike Xena who looks as fresh as ever.

'Go ahead, sleep.' She urges; I'm not any help as it is anyway. I lie down and immediately I'm asleep. I have some weird dream about a creature stalking us; the soldiers are screaming shrilly as it rips them apart. My eyes pop open, and I can feel a weight on top of me.

'Shh.' Xena whispers in my ear. I'm beginning to wake up now and realize there really are screams ringing out all over. Our fire has been doused; Xena is on top of me but is very aware of what's going on around us. After a minute she eases off me, grabbing my hand and pulling me in a low crouch away from the carnage that is surely happening. A storm has rolled in, cutting off any light that the stars and moon provide. Every once in a while lightning will flash, giving us a clear view of our surroundings.

The screaming has stopped, but has been replaced by psychotic laughter. Xena continues to creep along the ground. My hand stays glued to hers, otherwise I'd lose her in the thick darkness. I feel like the sound of my breathing can be heard for miles, giving away our position to whatever is out there.

Xena stops suddenly, pulling me close to her. I can hear the sounds of movement, but I can't tell where it's coming from; it seems to surround us but that can't be possible. She slowly slides her sword from its sheath, her muscles tensing and ready for action. I bring my sais up, ready to fight but I don't know where it will be coming from.

The lightning flashes, I think I see something to my right but when it's illuminated again there's nothing. I'm hoping whatever is out there, can't see or hear us. The night has gone silent, deathly so. Even the animals and bugs that fill the air with their songs seem to have left. Thunder booms off in the distance, the lightning coming in quicker succession. We remain crouched, and I can only hope Xena knows what's out there.

Rain comes down in big heavy drops, instantly soaking us through. The flashing of lightning coming so quick now that I have a better idea of our surroundings. We're pressed against a large bush, trees on all sides and as far as I can see. There is something out there, more than one thing. They move about like shadows in between the trees. The cackling begins again; it's nearly on top of us. Panic is beginning to surge in me. The fact that Xena is doing her best to hide is not a good sign. She generally prefers to attack first, run later.

She stiffens more next to me, ready to pounce any second. I don't know what she sees or hears but I know I need to do the same. She looks over at me, concern in her eyes but trying to reassure me at the same time. The rain is loud I can barely discern the sound of thunder let alone anything else.

Xena suddenly takes off in a jump, yelling her war cry and disappearing into the darkness. The flashing lightning displays a partial show in front of me. She's out there grappling with, a man I think, who is two times taller than she is. His muscle mass is obscene and his skin seems to be a purplish color. I'm about to jump in and help when another massive person comes flying in, tackling her to the ground. I have no idea how many more of these there might be, but I'm not about to sit here and just watch.

I step slowly away from the bush, crouched and trying to look for anyone else. So far it's just Xena and the two massive psycho's locked in a battle that she seems to be losing. Her yells are lost in the wall of rain. I'm sure she's calling my name, but it's impossible to hear. My plan of attack is to take one of them from behind, hope I can knock him off balance and stab my sais into him. This is my plan, if I can accomplish this, it will be a miracle.

Taking off in a sprint, I ready my weapon as I'm inches away from pouncing. But I don't make it. I find myself sprawled on the ground, not sure what happened but an intense pain is rocking through my head. Shaking it off I stand again, trying to regain my bearings. My sais is no longer in my hand, so I begin a frantic search for it the mud. Again I go sprawling, eating a good mouthful of mud as I hit the ground. I'm not getting very far.

I can't see Xena anywhere, but my eyes are becoming blocked by mud and who knows what else. I'm tempted to stay down as the world swirls around me, but I shakily get back to my feet. I'm met with a massive wall of man, standing stock still with eyes that seem to glow. Stumbling back, I try to gather myself to pounce. I don't have my sais but I still have my fists.

I launch at him with a kick to his jaw. My foot lands a crushing kick, but he barley flinches. This is not good. I take a second longer to look at him again. I'm assuming this is a man, though barely one. Nothing about him looks normal, from his muscles to his skin, to his claw like hands. I'm beginning to think this is not winnable. Never the less, I throw another kick at his midsection. This hurts my foot more than it hurts him in any way.

His fist connects with my kidney causing a crippling pain to knock me down. The air is struggling to return to my lungs as his fist connects with my jaw. I fall flat against the mud, barely conscious now and fighting to stay awake. Finally I spot Xena, a man is over her body relentlessly punching her face with savage ferocity. My hand reaches out for her, but she's not conscious, or maybe not alive. Soon I can't fight the darkness anymore and it consumes me.


	3. Chapter 3

Monster 3

All I feel is cold; that and pain that seems to be radiating through my whole body. Dirt encrusts every inch of skin . I'm confused and disoriented and have no idea where I am. My vision swims in front of me so I squeeze my eyes shut, though it still feels as if the world is spinning out of control. My stomach wants to empty the little bit of food it holds; I try to hold the sensation back but fail miserably. There's an empty bucket inches from my face so I turn towards it, my stomach spasming over and over, even when there's nothing left.

Wiping the back of my hand across my mouth I look around. The only light is coming from above me through an opening that is too far out of my reach. The walls are smooth allowing for no hand or foot holds. My cell is five paces wide and across; just me, a dirt floor, and chains on my feet. Staring up, I try to determine where the light is coming from. I think it's the sun, meaning I've been unconscious for at least a few hours.

Pacing back and forth I try to think of my options here. I have no idea where Xena is, or if she is even alive. What's more disturbing is I have no idea what I'm here for and what they plan on doing with me. Sitting down I take stock of my body which is covered in mud and blood. I can't seem to find any obvious gashes until I reach my head. A long shallow tear mars my scalp. I'm sure this is where all the blood came from, only stopping because the mud dried, encrusting it. There doesn't seem to be any water around, so I don't touch it. I'm hoping I can stave off infection long enough to figure a way out of here.

I can tell the approximate time of day based on the angle and intensity of sun streaming into my little underground cell. Part of the day I'm sitting in a sauna as the sun is directly over me, and I have no shade. I need to just sit and conserve my energy. I have no idea what they plan on doing with me, but I plan on fighting.

'Ok Gabrielle, keep calm.' I start talking to myself, Xena told me a long time ago that this would help me stay calm and sane. There's a noise above me, dirt trickles down as a shadow darkens the entrance. I can hear a loud raspy breathing, I hope I don't have to see the body that it belongs to. A small bundle drops down, along with a water skin. I wait for the breathing to disappear before I move cautiously toward my delivery.

I untie the bundle; a bit of cheese and some bread are inside. The bread is hard and probably very stale, the cheese has mold on it. I inspect the water skin. It seems to just be water, I have to hope it's not laced with something. I don't know when I might get food again so I ration the best I can. Good thing I do too.

Nearly three days go by without seeing or hearing another soul. I sit here still caked in mud and nothing but a bucket to relieve myself in. I can't tell if my wound is infected or not; there's this pounding in my head on and off and my stomach will barely hold down the miniscule amount of food I'm eating.

I'm beginning to panic, no matter how hard I try to stay calm it keeps boiling away inside me. I try and think of every possible way to escape. My main hope is that they actually take me out of this thing; otherwise I'm not sure how I'll get out.

'Xena, how am I going to get out of this?' I hope that she's alive somewhere and can hear me. She'll come get me if she's able, but until then I need my own plan.

Time seems to blend together, and I have no idea how long I've been here. I'm eating crumbs, and there's barely a trickle of water left. I go from sweating during the day to freezing at night. So it feels like a dream when a ladder drops down, though nobody comes down it. I stare at it for a while before I finally decide to go up it. It's hard at first; my body weak and sore. When my head reaches the surface the sun is just coming up, dew still covers the ground.

I take tentative steps on the surface, trying to figure out where I am. As far as I can tell, it's a forest like any other. I feel a hand grab my arm roughly from behind. I'm yanked backwards, tripping over my own feet as I go. The hand belongs to a lean, hard man. His eyes are pitch black, his skin a white, bluish hue. It almost seems as if he is translucent; I can see every vein that laces his body.

He makes no noise as he pulls me along a trail through the trees. I manage to notice that my hole was not the only one; I could see at least four others before I'm yanked away. I would attempt to fight and get away now, but Xena may be down one of those holes, and I'm not leaving without her.

The trail seems to go on forever. I'm being dragged and pulled as I trip over roots and vines, barely managing to stay on my feet with these shackles on. We come upon a small clearing in the trees. I can count at least four small huts gathered around a central platform. Thin, meek looking women mill around each domicile; every woman is doing some chore or cradling a small child. Everyone cowering as we walk by. I'm beginning to hope that this is not going to be as bad as I thought.

I get thrown into a hut closest to the center of the….. village? I don't know what this place should be called, but I'm hoping it doesn't give Tarterus a run for its money. Three malnourished women walk in, heads bowed. They're carrying buckets of water and rags. They roughly begin to wipe the dirt off me, then tear my clothes off giving me rags to wear that are just as dirty. The women leave as quietly as they had come.

The only light is coming in through the entrance, but it's enough for me to see. The hut is empty, devoid of furniture or decoration. I just stand and wait, not sure what's going on. After awhile three of those big hulking men walk in, along with an older woman. They all look deformed, like pieces of clay lumped together. I try not to shrink back at the site of them, better to look calm.

They're all looking at me like I'm a piece of meat, and talking in some language I can't understand; if it's really a language. They all reach out and begin to poke and prod me. I'm not sure if they plan on eating me or something else much worse. They confer a minute longer before leaving. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or bad.


	4. Chapter 4

Monster 4

My shackles are taken off, but my wrists tied together. I've been pushed into a line of women in similar disarray. A few are whimpering, some try to whisper but get a bloody lip for that, no one knows what's going on. I don't see Xena amongst the women, but I hold out hope she's still alive.

My feet are bleeding and sore, the ground seems to be nothing but rocks and thorns constantly cutting at them. They make us stand for hours before shoving us forward down a path into the woods. I try to keep track of the path and everything around us. If I can manage to escape I don't want to head straight back into my captors.

We stumble along for a good while, some stumble over others. Lack of food and water have made some delirious, others just want to give up. But these men, if you can call them that, refuse to even let anyone lay down and die.

There seems to be a fog bank in front of us, though by all rights there shouldn't be. The men stop a few feet away from it, but continue to prod us towards it till we are all in. I don't see why any one of us can't just turn around and walk out. For a second, I'm not sure what I should do. I could stay with the group, or I can try to get out on my own. I choose to turn, walking back the direction we came. It should only be a few steps to reach the edge of the fog, but I keep walking with no end in sight.

A ear piercing scream freezes me in my tracks. The fog is as thick as soup. There could be a wall inches from me and I wouldn't see it. I have no choice but to keep walking; either I'll find the edge of the fog, or run back into some of those women I was forced in with.

The silence is deafening. I can't hear a bird or even a cricket. There's no sound of leaves rustling, or water running. This is very disconcerting and more than a little creepy. I stop for a second, trying to listen for footsteps or voices, but it's as if the fog has deadened any noise. I creep forward with my hands out in front of me as if I'm blind.

The ground vibrates beneath me, nearly knocking me off my feet. Another scream cuts through the fog, closer this time. I'm about to panic any minute now. My heart is trying to escape my chest and I'm doing my best to keep my breathing under control.

There's a sickening snap to my left. I have no idea where I'm headed, for all I know I could be going straight into whatever it is that's out there. Stumbling into a dead tree, I fall over hitting a soft moist ground. I'm not sure what I'm standing on; moss, peat, something odd I guess.

A hand clasps over my mouth and I'm pulled backward. I'm not even about to scream because I'm paralyzed with shock.

'It's me.' A familiar voice whispers in my ear. I scramble to turn around; the sight crouching before me worse than I had imagined.

'Xena.' I whisper as I reach out to touch her face but stop short. Her eyes are nearly swollen shut, and her right arm hangs limply at her side. I'd hug her but I'm afraid that I'd hurt her more.

'It hurts more than it looks.' She tries to smile but hisses in pain. She starts to untie my hands awkwardly and I just want to cry. 'Don't cry.' She reaches up wiping away a tear.

'I'm sorry.' Now is not the time for this. 'What are we going to do?' Looking around I still don't see anything, but the fog twirls and swirls as if it's alive, the air is sticky and hot.

'We have to get out.' Her voice is rough, it's a struggle for her to speak.

'What's out there?' There's a tiny shake of her head. She knows, she just doesn't want to tell me. 'Xena?' We're whispering but to me it sounds like shouting.

'We need to get out.' Each word is slow and deliberate.

'Is there even a way out? I walked back the way we came in but I should have reached it by now.' She shakes her head weakly.

'There's a way, but I don't know how we're going to do it yet.' I'm not sure how she's functioning right now, I'm pretty sure most people wouldn't be conscious. I reach out, grazing her face with my fingers. The ground vibrates beneath us again. I look at her in disbelief.

'Xena you can barely move. How are we going to fight whatever it is that's out there?'

'Together we can do anything.' She grasps my hand in hers and struggles to her feet. 'We've been through worse.' I throw her arm over my shoulder, trying to support her weight.

'Tell me where to go.'


	5. Chapter 5

Monster 5

It hasn't gotten darker and it hasn't gotten brighter. The sun can't be suspended up there in the sky, refusing to move. I guess we should be happy that it's not dark, though I have no concept of the amount of time we've been in here. I'm exhausted, hungry, and Xena doesn't seem to be getting any better.

The screams have become less frequent, though I'm sure they won't die away all together. These men seem to go out every night to kidnap, then weaken their captives. I'm not sure what the point of that is. If someone was hunting us, it wouldn't make for much sport. But maybe we're just being fed to something, and in that case it'd just want us alive, but not necessarily kicking.

The landscape is changing, only in that it's populated by the skeletons of trees. There doesn't seem to be anything alive here. I don't see rodents or birds, not even a spider. Xena's breathing is becoming labored; I'm not sure how much longer she can go on.

'Come on Xena, you need to rest for a minute.' She tries to resist, but as I force her to sit down, I can see the relief on her face.

Xena groans a little as she shifts her back against a tree. I'm helpless to do anything for her. We have no food, no water or rags to clean her wounds, and nothing to ease the immense pain she must be in. I can't imagine what she looked like just a few days ago.

I'd look around, but I'd probably get lost in seconds and not be able to find my way back. This place is like a labyrinth that we will never escape from. I sit down next to her, trying to see through the fog, but it's an impossible task.

'Where are we going?' She must have some idea of what's going on. She clears her throat and adjusts herself again, leaning partially against me.

'I think I've heard of this.' Her voice cracks, she tries to lick her lips but her mouth is dry. 'They sacrifice people, mainly women to their God. Some are killed, others are taken as,' She pauses a moment. 'Some are taken to bring an heir into the world. These men that follow him are his offspring.'

'So they're Gods?'

'They are the rejects. They are the army that will follow his command.' She clears her throat again.

'And this has happened before?'

'Many years ago, when I was young, an heir was born but was killed before it could come to power. They disappeared from the area, and I've only heard rumors since.' I try to process this.

'So either it will kill us or force us to bear its child? I'm not sure which is worse.'

'Trust me, you'll pray for death.' The ground vibrates a few times, but no scream is heard. Anything that makes the ground tremble is not something I want to live to see.

'We better get moving.' I drape her left arm across my shoulder and heave her up as I stand. 'So, what are the chances we'll make it out of this?'

'The usual.' I take that to mean she doesn't know; we may live or we may die, we've done all of thee above. We slump along slowly, trying not to run into anything that will kill us. I hear something off to my right and stop in my tracks. It sounds like someone running and stumbling straight towards us.

The fog swirls then suddenly parts, depositing a woman who is tattered and covered in blood. There's complete panic and shock in her eyes. She looks as if she's about to hyperventilate as she grasps on to me for dear life. The combined weight of Xena and this hysterical woman is enough to drag me down, forcing me into a crouching position. She's trying to speak, but can't seem to get enough air back into her lungs.

'Calm down, calm down.' I know there is probably no reason for her to be calm, but I need to communicate with her and I can't do that if she passes out. The woman nods, taking a second to slow her breathing back to something manageable.

'There's no way out.' She's still gasping, her words are strained. 'It's.. it's killing everyone.' Her eyes glow with painful memories. 'It's a monster with….' She holds her hands out in front her, staring as if there was something on them. She's gone silent and I can't seem to get her to focus back on me.

The ground vibrates, and I swear I hear a bellow not too far off. The woman's head pops up, eyes wild with fear. 'We have to go!' Before I can stop her she takes off into the fog once more. Well, she didn't really offer up any good information. I'm as much in the dark as I was before.

The air has become so oppressive that I can barely breathe. Both of us are soaked in sweat, and we have no way of replenishing what we've lost. The ground vibrates and shakes nearly constantly now, and I know we are getting close to the epicenter of this maze. I only hope we can both hold out, and somehow make it past whatever stands before us.


	6. Chapter 6

Monster 6

I can't take it. I have the anticipation of the worst happening but it just isn't coming. The air is suffocating me, the sweat is dripping off our bodies. I can't keep this up much longer, but I somehow manage to keep putting one foot in front of the other.

The fog suddenly begins to dissipate then opens up but it is only a small hole, the fog still surrounds us on all sides. A huge gnarly tree stands in the center, branches reaching up and curly in every direction. I never seen a tree quite like this and I don't think I want to get too close. It's deathly silent, no screaming, no noise to indicate that something is lurking near.

'Xena.' I try to whisper as quiet as possible. 'What do we do?' She clears her throat as she looks around.

'The tree.' Her heads makes a small, almost imperceptible nod. 'There's a passageway.' A passageway? I squint my eyes trying to see if there's something I'm missing, but besides being a big scary tree, I don't see anything else. But I guess we have no choice, we have to get closer.

My steps are slow and hesitant. Every second that passes I'm expecting something to come jumping out at us. I keep scanning my surroundings as we inch closer, Xena I'm sure is listening but I don't think she's able to do much else at this point.

When we're about a foot from the base of the tree I begin to notice that it looks very different. It must be by some magic, but a large tunnel goes straight down through the base of the tree into the ground. This does not look like a place I want to be. It's pitch black in that tunnel, anything could be in there. I hesitate a moment, looking from Xena to the tree and back. I really don't have a choice, we have to keep moving, we need to get this nightmare behind us.

We stop at the very entrance, crouching a little and hoping our eyes adjust to the complete darkness. For all I know, the very thing we are trying to avoid could be hiding down in the depths just waiting. As I move to step all the way inside, the world turns upside down, literally. I feel my body being pulled up into the air, my head coming sickenly close to the ground before I'm pulled up towards the sky.

For a moment I can't catch my bearings. Confusion and panic override all rationale thought. My body is flailing in the air, the ground now seems to be miles away. I calm down enough to look around, and find I'm not the only one dangling within the tree limbs. There are three other women with panic strewn faces, but none of them are Xena. A whole new kind of panic descends upon me. Where is Xena?

'What happened?' No one answers, the woman closest to me is whimpering. Sighing, I look up at my feet. It looks like a vine has wrapped itself around my ankles, but I cannot see where it ends. Even if I could get out, how would I stop myself from falling to my death? Looking back down, the ground doesn't seem as far away as it did before, but still far enough to cause considerable damage. From here the dirt looks the color of rust, and I still can't see past the bounds of the fog.

I don't see any movement below me, no sign of Xena or anyone else. There's suddenly an ear piercing scream and I watch as a woman plummets to the earth, stopping only inches above the ground. She hangs there a moment, then the vine detaches as if it has a mind of its own. She drops with a grunt even audible to me. The woman squirms on the ground, scrambling to get to her feet. Just as she's upright there seems to be a massive black shadow cast over her, obscuring half of her body. I try to calm myself and look closer. It's not a shadow that hovers over her, its something else all together.

I can make out the lines and curves of veins and muscles. Whatever it is, it is nearly as big as a Cyclops, and still it is far from me. It's big hulking hand reaches out, grasping the woman without any effort. She screams again then seems to pass out, slumping over in its fist. The things brings her up to it's face, where I finally make out some features that are human, and some that are monstrous.

Spikes rim its face, as if a border to a picture. It's mouth gapes open, drool sliding down from each of its long pointy teeth. It looks to be sniffing her, analyzing something. It grunts a few times then raises its arm up into the air. With a speed and ferocity that only the God's could command, it throws the woman straight down to the ground. Her body seems to explode on impact and even the tree shakes with the ferocity. I nearly can't hold down the vomit that threatens to come. I've never seen anything like that before. My eyes squeeze shut. I can't look down again.

One by one, this process continues till I'm the only one left. I try to convince myself not to panic, to try and find some weakness in this monster that will help me escape. Without any warning, my body plungers to the ground, stopping inches from the blood soaked earth, just as the others did. I bounce a moment in the air, then I'm dumped on my head. As the others did, I attempt to get to my feet but I take a diving roll backwards, trying to get behind the thing.

I pop up to my feet, ecstatic for a moment that I've evaded the fist, but the elation doesn't last long. With surprising speed it turns to face me. Its hand forms a fist and comes plummeting down towards the earth. I leap and roll trying to avoid getting smashed. I can actually feel the rush of air as it comes down just feet away. The impact sends the earth and me flying up into the air. I somehow manage to roll as I hit the ground, getting back to my feet shakily.

I'm out of breath, tired and weak, and I'm not sure how much longer I can keep away from its grasp. It's bellowing in rage, spittle flying from its gaping mouth. I'm stumbling backwards, barely staying on my feet as it advances forward. I still haven't spotted Xena, and I'm afraid I may never see her again.


	7. Chapter 7

Monster 7

I'm scared. Truly, deeply, down to my soul scared. The only thing I can think of is to make it to that tunnel, but where is Xena. The ugly behemoth is bearing down on me again, the earth shaking with his anger. He apparently doesn't like to play with his food too much. He bellows as his fist comes sailing down towards me one again. I see it as if in slow motion and dodge at the last second. A spray of dirt and rocks hits my back as I roll back to my feet. Tartarus!

Then I see her, climbing up the rutted back of the demon that stands before me. God's knows where she found the strength, but it's obviously an agonizing expedition as her face contorts in pain with each and every movement. Not the mention she keeps nearly getting throw off his body as he thrashes around. I have no idea what she has planned, but I know I better keep him distracted.

I start to dance around, waving my arms and yelling. Not that I really need to get his attention, his anger is focused soley on me, he doesn't seem to feel Xena's presence. He throws his head back, bellowing with rage. His pray is not meant to taunt him, he is a God. Both his fist come screaming down towards the earth, one just grazing me, shearing at my skin and clothes. I'm becoming bloody and tattered, but if Xena is holding out, then I know I have to as well.

I try to gauge her progress but find it difficult to spot her while also trying to stay alive. I'm tripping over bones, sinking into blood soaked earth, and stumbling with every tremble he causes. Whatever Xena's plan is, I hope it works. Dodge, roll, stand, repeat.

Finally I spot Xena up near the beasts head, but I stumble back and I don't think I can get up this time. I watch in horror as his hand reaches down for me, my life briefly playing out before my eyes. There's a roar of pain and rage from the beast, his hand swatting me across the earth. I manage to look up to see Xena repeatedly stabbing his eye with a broken piece of bone. She somehow scrambles over to his chest, his hands and arms flailing about in a desperate attempt to stop whatever it is attacking him. She takes aim and with a war cry, plunges the bone as deep as she can get it. Somehow she manages to step on the protruding bone, flipping off the monster backward and pushing the deadly shard all the way in to his chest.

The beast starts to stumble, clawing at his chest as blood gurgles from his mouth. Xena has collapsed to the ground, any energy she had was now spent. I rush over to her as the monster stumbles into the fog, crying out in pain but with no one to help. My hands sweep across Xena's face, life barely flickers in her eyes.

'Hurry, before he dies.' She says weakly. With everything I have, I wrap her arm around my shoulder and heave her up into a standing position. I make an attempt at a run but it's more like a tortured shuffle. I don't know why, but we need to make it to that tunnel before the monster dies.

Xena's feet are barely moving beneath her, but I know she's using every bit of will just to stay awake. It feels likes years before we reach the entrance. The ground shakes, the monster bellows in the distance. I waste no time and rush headlong into the darkness. There is no light, only total and complete silence and blackness before my eyes. I keep pushing forward, surprised I never seem to trip over anything or stumble into a wall or something. I know we can't stop here, I'd rather die out in the sunlight then in obscure darkness.

The time flows by slowly, each minute feels like an hour, each hour like a year. There's a small pinprick point of light in front of us. I use that as my compass and head straight for it. It grows as we draw nearer; it's evident the light is from the sun, not a flame. This gives me enough hope to spur us on, just enough to reach the end of the tunnel. Bursting out into fresh air, we collapse on the ground. I roll to my back, looking up at the clouds in the light blue sky. I have no idea where we are, nor do I care. We at least made it out of the nightmare, we at least have that. I lace my fingers with Xena's and let my eyes fall closed. I might not wake up ever again but at least she's still by my side.

My eyes fly open, body shooting up causing me to yell in pain. It takes a moment for me to gather my senses, get my brain to focus on the here and now. I remember the tunnel, but where am I now? I begin a frantic search around me, but find Xena just to my side on a bed mere inches from mine. We're in a tent of some sort, both of us bandaged and sutured. My stomach is growling in hunger, my lips dying of thirst. I'm about to try and crawl my way to some nourishment when the tent flap is throw to one side and a old woman walks in.

'Oh goodness, you're awake.' She steps back out for a moment then returns, shuffling over to me with a cup of water. 'Sip slowly young one.' I try to drink the water greedily but she pulls the cup from my lips. 'You'll only make yourself sick.' The old woman offers me a smile, then slowly lifts the cup up once more. Beads adorn her hair, bangles, bracelets and bits of string cover each wrist. Her clothes are colorful, and flow about her with each movement.

'Where am I?

'We are a simple nomadic people. We came upon you and your friend,' She nods towards Xena. 'and you were barely alive. We had a hard time moving you because we couldn't get you two to let go of your hands.' I blush slightly as she smiles warmly at me. 'She will be fine, don't worry my child. But she will need much more rest.' I finally allow myself to lay back, exhaustion hitting me like an arrow, hard and fast. 'Rest.' The woman coos. 'We are grateful for what you have done. You and your friend shal not go un-rewarded.' What does she mean by that? I can't keep my eyes open, no matter how hard I fight the sensation. Once again a dark silence swallows me whole.


	8. Chapter 8

Monster 8

I can hear children running around and giggling, others talking and laughing, but I don't know who these people are. Xena is breathing softly now, before it was labored and ragged. She hasn't woke up yet, barely even stirred but the old woman insists she will heal in no time. Her name is Kizzy but that is about as much as I've learned, she refuses to say more until Xena is awake. I suppose I should be wary, but right now it's better than battling a behemoth in the fog.

We've been given our own tent which isn't big, but it isn't small either. Large cushions are spread on the ground to lay on, allowing me to cuddle up next to Xena. My hand rests on her chest, rising and falling with each breath she takes. I spend my time whispering in her ear, waiting for the moment when she finally responds

'Where are we?' Her voice is low, cracking from dryness in her throat. My head instantly pops up to see a pair of blue eyes looking at me.

'I don't know.' I scramble up onto my knees, my hands grasping at her face as if this is the first time I've seen her in years. Her arm moves slightly, one hand comes to rest on my forearm as a small smile forms on her lips. 'How do you feel?'

'Like Tartarus.' She shifts a little uncomfortably as I turn to grab the water jug. I pour a little on her lips, still this causes her to cough and sputter. My thumb wipes away the remnants of water on her chin. I knew she'd be fine, but still the fear was there that she would never wake up again.

"I don't know where we are exactly. A tribe of nomads found us and took us in. We've been here nearly a week now.' I watch as her eyebrow rises in question.

'A week?' I just nod. 'Nomads?' Again I nod, I can tell she's racking her brain, sifting through all the nomads she has knowledge of.

'An old woman named Kizzy is taking care of us, but beyond that I don't know anything. She refused to tell me until you were awake.'

'I'm awake now.'

'But you should probably get more rest.' She grunts a little in response as her eyes close once more. I lie back down next to her, one arm draped over her waist. I allow myself to sleep, the anxiety eased once I heard her voice. When I wake again, Xena stirring next to me, I swear another day has passed.

Kizzy comes in, all bangles and frills, and colorful. She smiles wide, the wrinkles on her face becoming more prominent. I help Xena get up into a sitting position as she hands us two bowls. It seems to be a sort of porridge. I tentatively lift the spoon and taste the offering. It's sweet, with honey I think, and the porridge seems to be corn, but I can't tell for sure. I do know however that it tastes really good. Kizzy seems to watch us in amusement as she sits on a small stool.

'I suppose now is the time to tell you a story.' She doesn't wait for any kind of response but leans in a little closer, her voice lower as if for a more dramatic delivery. 'We know what you have done, slayed the monster who takes women.' Xena and I look at each other in question.

'My people travel often through here, but I believe you may not know where here is.' I feel like she's talking in riddles. 'It will take time for you to reach a road that will take you in the direction of home, we would like to take you there of course.' Xena is about to say something but the woman waves her hand. 'We are simple nomadic people with simple ideas and traditions. We have little to offer, but we would like your help.' I choke a little on my porridge.

'What makes you think we can help?' Xena has forgotten her food for the moment, focusing instead on the old woman.

'Even simple people like us know of Xena Warrior Princess.' I watch Xena's eyes narrow slightly.

'What do you need help with?' I ask curious.

'Mullo.' She states as if we should know what this is. 'A necromancer has called upon undead to terrorize and destroy my people.'

'Bacchae?' But Xena shakes her head no at me.

'What exactly do you want us to do?' Xena leans forward, curiosity obvious on her features.

'Find them, kill them.'

'How do we kill them?' I'm just as curious now. The old woman shrugged her shoulders.

'This, we don't know yet, but they can be killed, this I am sure of.' Xena and I exchange looks. We've just finished with one monster, now we have more.

'How many are there?' I can tell Xena has no problem with this.

'There are four brothers. They have spread across our land and no man is brave enough to fight them alone. Some have tried and they have failed. We hear you are a great warrior.' The old woman gives a toothy grin. 'I'll leave you to talk.' She stands up, a few bones cracking back into place as she goes, then leaves the tent.

'Uhh Xena, you're not actually considering this are you.' She refuses to look at me. 'Xena!'

'They need help, isn't that our job?'

'Not when we're half dead.' I swear I think she just likes to fight, anything to swing her sword. She puts her hand on my thigh.

'If you don't want to….' Grrrrr, I can feel guilty so easily.

'Fine.' She gives me a smirk. I don't think this is going to be as fun as she thinks.

TBC Romani Undead


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